Telluride Middle/High School Athletic Department

Spring 2025, Number 2

April 4, 2025

Distributed to all Administrators, In-Season Coaches, Athletic Staff, Telluride Booster Executive Committee and Athletic Advisory members by the Telluride Middle/ High School Athletic Department.

If you have any suggestions for items of information for upcoming newsletters, please submit them to Chris Murray and Jaime Stewart during the last week of each month.

This months newsletter we will keep the focus only on the CHSAA bylaw administrative proposals of interest to Telluride High School  that will be voted on at the Spring CHSAA Legislative Council. 

CHSAA Legislative Council Update 

I want to take a moment to highlight some of the more important Bylaw administrative proposals that are on the agenda for vote at the Spring CHSAA Legislative Council meeting on April 22. The items highlighted are good information for everyone to have on their radar. At the bottom of each of the bylaw administrative proposals of interest I will follow with how it could potentially impact Telluride High School should they pass at the meeting on April 22.

ADM 1- CLOC Timelines and Logistics (1500.1)- See highlighted  

1500. CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOLS

1500.1 NOTE:  Through the legislative process, the CLOC Committee may have re-classified some  member schools based upon bylaw 1500.21 and all provisions.

CHSAA classification enrollment ranges for each activity are approved by the Legislative Council in January preceding the beginning of the two-year classification cycle.

The CHSAA Commissioners Office will set classifications based on Bylaw 1500.11/1500.21 the bylaws in Article 15 and present to the CHSAA membership in the Fall October of the odd numbered years preceding the beginning of the two-year classification cycle.  

1500.11 The determination as to whether the total number of classifications should be increased is based upon CHSAA sports/activity commissioners’ evaluation of the total number of full programs participating in a given sport/activity. 

NOTE:  In order to add a new event or discipline in a pre-existing sport or activity, the changes must be recommended by the appropriate sports or activity advisory committee, and approved by the Legislative Council.

1500.12 EXCEPTION: Schools having only boys or only girls enrolled shall have their enrollment doubled for the purpose of classification. (Move to 1500.22)

1500.2 The Legislative Council shall approve classifications for each activity based on the following policies: The CHSAA Office shall split sports and activities into classifications based upon enrollment separations, using the number of approved classifications for each sport or activity based on the following criteria:

1. Three-Year Average Enrollment as defined in bylaw 1500.21.

Classification will be in effect for a minimum of two years, starting each two year cycle based on in even years. (moved from old 1500.25).

NOTE:  The Classification, Appeals and League Organizing Committee (CLOC) when hearing and voting on appeals will consider the criteria as outlined in this member bylaw. The only objective criteria is to classify all schools by hard non-negotiable, CDE numbers. Our Membership voted (approved) to allow the CLOC Committee to consider and apply additional criteria (per member bylaw) on a school-by-sport specific basis.

1500.21 The classification of school programs shall be based upon an average of the official CDE Student Membership Counts reported for the three completed years prior to the start of the upcoming two-year cycle.

The CHSAA Staff may also consider other factors to justify placing programs up or placing down (reclassifying). Factors including but not limited to:    

• Socio economics of the school’s population (Free and Reduced Lunch Rate)
• Demographics of the school’s population (includes approved 5^th Year Transition Programs Only)
• Participant safety concerns
• Competitive non-success and success
• Competitive history and balance
• Geography
• School’s participation rate in CHSAA sponsored activities (CHSAA Participation Survey)
• Entry or selection process of the school
• Prior year out-of-building student percentage on rosters

1500.22 Enrollment data will be counted using the following policies:

 

1. Four-year high schools shall count their total enrollments, including all ninth graders not housed at the high school.

NOTE: When a new school comes in as a member, and doesn’t have all four grades, the enrollment number that will be used for classification purposes shall be in correspondence with the number of grades that they will be offering the first year they are members. For example, if they have grades 9/10/11, their enrollment number should reflect three grades for their classification during that first cycle of membership. 

EXCEPTION: A new school may apply to the CLOC for an exception to the classification rules if one or more grades are not yet included at the school or for other extenuating circumstances. The variance may be granted for one or two years.

2. Schools having only boys or only girls enrolled shall have their enrollment doubled for the purpose of classification. (moved from 1500.12)

1. If a high school is missing enrollment data for any of its grade levels, the total four-year enrollment shall be calculated by averaging the enrollments of the existing grade levels and applying that average to any missing grade levels. 
   1. For example, if a school includes ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades but does not include twelfth grade, its four-year enrollment shall be calculated by averaging the enrollments of those three grades and adding that average for the missing year.

2. Exception: If a school becomes a member with only 9th grade students in the first year of the cycle, that school shall only have their enrollment number doubled to reflect them having 9th and 10th graders in the second year of a two-year cycle.

1500.23 Schools may not change classifications in the middle of a two-year cycle, except in extreme circumstances which may be brought to the CLOC Committee, Legislative Council, or Board of Directors for appeal.

NOTE: An example of an “extreme” circumstance is a force majeure event which refers to extraordinary circumstances beyond human control that significantly impact a school community. These may include natural disasters, extreme weather events, pandemics, or other unforeseeable crises, such as the Marshall Fire in 2021.

1500.3 The process for declaring activities shall be as follows:

1500.36 In September the Fall of the odd numbered year of the two-year cycle, schools will declare the activities and for each gender, in which they will compete for the next two-year cycle.

1500.37 A school failing to meet the designated deadline for declarations shall be subject to late penalties and shall not be permitted to appeal any classification placements. 

The school may also request a change in classification placement directly from the Legislative Council; such an exception requires a favorable vote of two-thirds of those council members voting.

1500.38 Classification enrollment ranges for the upcoming declaration cycle in all sports will be determined as defined in 1500.2. The Legislative Council in even numbered years, will consider the enrollment ranges as recommended by the CHSAA Commissioners Office and approved by the CLOC.

The classification will be based on the CDE Student Membership Count described in Bylaw 1500.21.

Rationale:  This further clarifies the timeline and process for classification alignment. It also allows more flexibility for the CHSAA office to share information with the membership earlier, if available.

Pros: Simplifies and clarifies the process for classifying schools. Reorganizes some bylaws to move similar content together.

Cons: Sets the structure for beginning to change the CLOC process, but some may be opposed to changing the current CLOC process.

Telluride High School Potential Impact: The average enrollment for school years 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 will be used to set classifications of all sports for the 2026-2028 cycle. As our enrollment is expected to decline this may result in some programs being placed up a classification for the 2026-2028 cycle based on an average three year enrolment that is higher then what would be the current enrollment. 

ADM 3- Multiplier Schools COLC (1500.22) 

Classifications of schools 

1500. CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOLS

1500.22 Enrollment data will be counted using the following policies:

(4) A member school shall have its three-year enrollment average multiplied by a factor of 1.5 if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

1. The school has a selective admission process for enrollment (e.g., Application/Admission process, lottery based enrollment)
2. The school has enrollment controls or restrictions (e.g., ability to deny enrollment, set enrollment caps)
3. The school has a tuition cost and/or need-based aid availability (e.g., tuition-based enrollment, or need-based aid)

Rationale: The multiplier is intended to adjust for the competitive advantages that some member schools may have due to selective admissions, enrollment controls, or tuition-based enrollment when compared to schools which do not have these advantages. The multiplier aims to standardize data and ensure a more equitable comparison of school enrollments despite differing admission practices.

Pros: Supports the belief by some that there is a competitive advantage to schools who can control or restrict enrollment.

Cons: Some schools who meet the definition may be adversely impacted. 

Telluride High School potential impact: For Telluride High School teams a number of the private schools that you may see in a typical playoff bracket may now be bumped up a classification starting in the 2026-2027 school year. This would help address some of the perceived inequities between private and public schools .

ADM 5- Programs Placed down and choosing to play down (1500.47)

1500. CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOLS

1500.47 A school’s program can exercise the option to be Placed Down for a two-year cycle if the following criteria is met:

• Bracket Sports: The program has a winning percentage of less than 10% (.10) over the preceding two-year cycle against teams in their same classification.
• Non-Bracket Sports programs may not be placed down a classification.

Schools that meet this criteria and notify the CHSAA Office of their intent to be Placed Down shall be eligible for the postseason.

If the program does not meet the above criteria, it will be placed in its classification of enrollment at the start of the next two-year cycle.

1500.48 School programs that exercise the option to be placed down will be eligible to remain at the lower classification for the subsequent two-year cycle unless the following condition is met:

• Bracket Sports: If the program qualifies for Postseason Competition in either of the two seasons within the two-year cycle, the program will not be eligible to remain at the lower classification for the following two-year cycle.

1500.49 If a school program does not meet the criteria for placement in a lower classification but still seeks to compete at that level, it may submit a request to Play Down.

• These requests will be automatically accepted, unless the Classification and League Organizing Committee (CLOC) identifies unintended consequences, health and safety concerns, or other significant considerations that would negatively impact the integrity of competition or participant well-being.
• Any team which opts to Play Down without meeting the criteria in 1500.47 will be ineligible for any participation in postseason competitions, including individual events and team competitions. This restriction will be for the duration of the two-year cycle as well as subsequent cycles should the program continue to extend this request.

Rationale:  Consistent with current practice, this would place strict criteria on when teams can play down a classification and participate in the postseason. This bylaw supports the concept of a competitive equity model by placing programs down in classification when they have demonstrated an extreme lack of success. The intent is to maintain competitive balance across all classifications and ensure opportunities for all participants with a basis in competitive equity while also supporting struggling programs in the interest of retaining and not losing those programs..

Pros:  Changes the play down process from a subjective to objective measurement which is based purely in data.  Allows school leaders to explain the process as it will now be objective.  Essentially eliminates the subjectivity of placing programs down.  Increases consistency and transparency in the process.  Schools still retain the option to choose to play down if they believe it is the right thing for their program.

Cons:  There will not be as many teams with the consideration to play down and compete in the postseason as happens in the current classification system. There may be extreme circumstances which do not meet the criteria.

With the criteria for an ability to play down and compete in the postseason becoming more strict, it could negatively impact participation within some programs who are struggling but do not meet the criteria to be placed down.

Telluride High School Potential Impact:  This would result in current teams that have been placed down a classification for the 2024-2026 cycle to consider it the last time they will be approved to play down. At the conclusion of the 2025-2026 school year all programs will be placed in their classification off of enrollment without an option to apply to play down unless they have a win % of less than 10% the previous two years. 

Any program can request to play down a classification with an understanding that they will not be eligible for playoffs but this would not make much sense.